Yesterday's post was about a lot of emotions. Today I want to talk about the furthest thing from emotions--facts. I've talked before about Lyme symptoms, but it's been a while. And if there's only one thing you read on my blog and it's this, I will be happy. If you read this post and realize that you've been experiencing one of these things and know that it isn't right and it leads you to a diagnosis, I will be happy. If you read this and feel like you aren't alone, I will be happy.
One important thing to note before reading these symptoms is that Lyme disease occurs in stages. So these symptoms come and go. They change. Every day. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is certain. But all of these things point to a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease and that is nothing to mess around with.
The most well-known symptom of Lyme disease is the bullseye rash. But, a large majority of people infected with Lyme disease never see a bullseye and, therefore, can't catch the disease early enough for quick treatment. Early Lyme symptoms mimic the flu, so it's easy to miss, especially without seeing a tick or a rash. Other early Lyme symptoms include: Bell's palsy (facial paralysis), headaches, and extreme fatigue that's out of the ordinary or not caused by things going on in your life.
Antibiotic treatment can be very effective if you catch Lyme early! This is why it's so important to check for ticks, remove them properly if you find one (I have a post on this too if you aren't sure how to do it) and take the tick itself in to your doctor to have it tested.
Late stage Lyme is a whole different story. Lyme disease is often called "the great imitator" because its symptoms imitate so many other illnesses, making diagnosis sometimes seem nearly impossible. In a majority of cases, people diagnosed with late stage or chronic Lyme are told they have fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, ALS, multiple forms of cancer, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome, or any combination of these and other diseases and disorders before finally coming to a Lyme diagnosis. During the struggle to receive a diagnosis they are often dealing with symptoms such as: joint pain and swelling, muscle pain and weakness, twitching, persistent headaches, numbness and tingling, facial paralysis, dizziness, poor balance or difficulty walking, burning or stabbing pains, confusion, word loss, memory difficulty, vision change, light and sound sensitivity, mood swings, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, difficulty breathing, rib/chest pain, insomnia, chemical sensitivity, allergic reactions, weight gain or weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, heart palpitations, and more.
Once you have late stage/chronic Lyme disease it migrates throughout your body, changing constantly. The bacteria mainly affects the skin, joints, heart, and nerve tissue (which includes the brain) but it can choose to bury itself anywhere in your body. During its life cycle, Lyme can manifest in different forms (which only respond to certain treatment), can flare up with new symptoms, or can go into remission (which is the ultimate goal). This makes attempts at treatment ultimately extremely difficult. Those antibiotics that can work for early Lyme don't work so easily at this point anymore. Treatment is much more difficult. The road is much longer.
So, please, do me, yourself, and everyone in your life a huge favor--take Lyme seriously. It may not seem like a big deal from the outside, but it is. It so is. Check for ticks. It seems silly. But it's important. Taking the time to do it is more than worth it in the big picture.
It's better to take 2 minutes now than to take years out of your life because you didn't find a tick now.
Trust me.
